Rekindling the Sacred Fire by Chantal Fiola

Author:Chantal Fiola
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Manitoba Press
Published: 2015-05-19T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

Self-identification and Personal Experiences

There are many people who could claim and learn from their Indian ancestry, but because of the fear their parents and grandparents knew, because of past and present prejudice against Indian people, that part of their heritage is clouded or denied.

Joseph Bruchac, “Elders Mediation of the Day,” 15 August 2010

“I’m a paradox to a lot of people and I don’t think that’s such a bad thing anymore…. There were moments where I would feel ashamed of the fact that I seem to not fit the expectations other people had for me as a Métis person, and now I feel very secure in my skin. I’m still aware of my skin, but I feel very secure in it.”

—Benny, participant

As with family stories that reflect on the relationship to Aboriginal and Euro-Canadian cultures and spirituality, this chapter illustrates the existence of subtle, nuanced, and sometimes conflicting pressures to self-identify in one way or another as influenced by simultaneous pressures to assimilate and desires to resist such pressures. Consequences of colonial oppression of Métis people are apparent in the participants’ family histories regarding self-identifying names and labels. Some family members vehemently denied Aboriginal identity, while others held onto Aboriginal self-identification with fervour, often within a single family.

Moreover, participants’ stories of personal experiences with racism and discrimination highlight ways in which such experiences influence choices in self-identification both consciously and subconsciously. A single racist encounter can produce strong physiological effects (fight-or-flight reactions including racing heart, sweaty palms, and shortness of breath accompanied by a fear for one’s personal safety) as well as long-lasting psychological and emotional wounds. Imagine what sustained and ongoing experiences with racism and discrimination can do to a person. It’s hard to be proud of Aboriginal identity, and name ourselves as such, if this identity is repeatedly singled out for discrimination.

On the other hand, participants also shared stories of resilience and refusal to be silenced by racial and gendered discrimination. Despite negative experiences with such discrimination and oppression, participants are choosing to maintain an Aboriginal self-identity. In fact, these experiences sometimes fuel the determination and will of the participants to live authentic lives and self-identify in a way that proudly highlights their Aboriginal identity.

Family Self-Identification

More than a third of the participants indicated that their families self-identified as Métis or Michif while they were growing up. Rainey, Ron, Laara, Dawnis, and Mae Louise reported use of the term Halfbreed.1 For example, Rainey shared, “We actually identified very clearly, very proudly, as Halfbreeds. [I] never heard the word ‘Métis’ until I was an adult and had moved to Winnipeg. Actually, I never heard the word Ojibwe [chuckles] until I was an adult and moved to Winnipeg, either because the Native people—like, our background was Cree, and the other name was ‘Saulteaux.’ So, the Ojibwe people we knew, we knew as Saulteaux, and then, Cree … I was born and raised as knowing myself as a Cree and Icelandic Halfbreed.” Although her family self-identified as Ojibwe and/or Anishinaabe, Dawnis highlighted that “it was common to be called a ‘Halfbreed’ or ‘half Indian….

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